Driving licence

France’s ‘virtual points’ for drivers with foreign licences: your questions answered

French nationals who have exchanged their French licence for a foreign one also affected

Driving licence is set to expire before exchange in France – what can I do?

Some drivers think they can keep driving until the right to drive date shown on the back of the licence has expired, however that is not the case

More drivers face instant licence loss in France for phone use

500 licences already revoked as another western-France department starts measure

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French driver fined €43,000 for traffic offences he did not commit

A French driver spent four years fighting fines for offences he says he never committed

Drivers must now pay €40 to exchange licence for French licence

Change applies to all non-French licences, but rules on when to exchange remain unchanged

Hand holding a pink French paper driving licence beside a modern plastic licence card near a parked car.

Brittany man held ‘ghost driving licence’ for 30 years

Here is how to avoid the ‘nonexistent licence’ issue

Split image of a driver using a phone and a gendarme checking documents at the roadside.

Phone use while driving in France: new crackdown from May 1

Four departments are set to have zero-tolerance penalties

French residency card and citizenship fees to rise from May 1

Foreign driving licence exchanges are also to become fee-based for the first time

New pink number plates in France lead to more police road checks

The plates are designed to enhance visibility and deter fraud

‘No-licence’ cars: six rules to know in France

Double the number of these cars were registered in 2024 compared to 2019

Connexion reader US-bound after driving licence issue resolved in France

Ron Kirk lost his ‘A’ category for riding large bikes after moving to France 15 years ago

What changes with French driving licences in 2025?

There are new rules on document posting, tests and EU and international driving permits

French driving documents can now be delivered via a simplified procedure

The change is designed to save public money

Drivers can now get proof of driving licence online in France

The new service could be useful in certain situations such as if you are stopped by police

French licence swap leaves Briton unable to drive €100,000 campervan

He is taking his case to France’s rights defender

Driving: When do you need to swap foreign licence for French licence?

Rules vary depending on where your licence was first issued and, in the case, of Britons when

A man distracted while driving, looking at his phone

New cars in France must soon have camera to see if driver distracted

The rules come as part of an EU aim to reduce road deaths to zero by 2050

Phones, tests, lorries: Changes on way for (some) drivers in France

EU wants to eliminate road deaths by 2050 and seeks to modernise driving tests

Debate on obligatory medical tests for European drivers to begin

More frequent renewals for over-70s could also be introduced, but topic is fiercely contested

Which official French documents can you now carry on your smartphone?

Digital copies are accepted for many purposes

French driving licence: mobile app lets you keep original at home

You currently need a French ID card to do this but cartes de séjour are set to be added this year

Drivers in France can check licence points on new official website

Proof of licence validity and which category of vehicle you are allowed to drive can also be downloaded for employers or insurers

A view of a woman having an eye check up

Will drivers in France soon need a health check every 15 years?

The EU is currently discussing the idea, which is already the subject of hot debate in France

Can I exchange my US driving licence for a French one?

Licence swap rules vary depending on bilateral agreements between the issuing country and France

Where can I find my French driving licence number?

Hiring a car abroad and checking licence points are among reasons you may need this

How can I check if speeding fines were sent to my French second home?

Fines will usually increase if they are not paid within 45 days

Can I check how many points are on my French driving licence?

Information can be found online, and cannot be asked for by your employer or insurance provider

An older woman looking at the window of the car she is driving

Older drivers in France will not have to sit medical, says minister

France is opposed to a ‘licence expiry date’, he said but one accident victim has called his position ‘appalling’

Non-EU driving licence exchanges continue to cause issues in France

Problems include disability adaptation codes and hiring cars in the UK

France launches new-style driving theory test losing ‘trick’ questions

Driving laws stay the same but the test has a new approach aimed also at making it more accessible to non-native French speakers

French MP wants debate on ‘fit-to-drive’ medicals for over 75s

The draft bill proposing medicals every five years has been called profoundly unfair by a drivers’ group

Older drivers must pass medical tests to stay on French roads, says MP

Bruno Millienne wants people over 75 to have check-ups every five years to prove they are fit to keep driving

A police officer checking a driving licence

How do speeding fines work in France?

Unlike a UK driving licence, the French counterpart does not have points added, they are instead deducted

Speeding fines, older drivers: Five ways driving in France will change

The changes come after deadly, high-profile car crashes in France this year

France to trial digital driving licences as move online gathers pace

Three departments will test having digital driving licences later this year before an expected national rollout in 2024

Post Brexit: When do Britons need to swap to French driving licence?

For UK nationals living in France, the rules for exchanging a UK licence for a French licence are flexible - but there are exceptions

Simpler, cheaper, faster, younger: new French driving licence reforms

The government is reviewing a bill to both simplify and reduce the minimum age of applying for a French driving licence

How to avoid the wait for a driving test in France

France first-hand: Learning to drive - we speak to Libby Abel, who moved to Brittany as a toddler, about her learning to drive experience

Newcomers must not put off swap to French driving licence

Reader issues warning to others as he faces sitting French test due to delay

UK driving licence exchange: Why is there a 70 on my new French one?

Is it anything to do with the age of the driver?

Should older drivers in France face medical tests to stay on the road?

The debate was reignited after the vehicle of an elderly driver ploughed into a crowd in northern France, injuring a dozen people

How do I replace my damaged French card driving licence?

We look at the steps to take when applying for a replacement French driving licence

Why I am in favour of tighter licence controls for drivers in France

A reader gives feedback on how the UK and France’s driving licence controls differ

Should older drivers in France undergo medical checks? Your feedback

A petition calling for increasingly regular check-ups as people get older has received 138,000 signatures. Some Connexion readers are in favour, others against

A close-up photo of a full licence card with categories of vehicle allowed to drive

What are the rules on exchanging your driving licence in France?

When is it mandatory to exchange? How do you do it? What documents do you need? Does it cost money? Can you drive during the process? We answer all this and more

How long to exchange a driving licence in France: your feedback

From three months to more than a year, you tell us how long you had to wait for your non-EU licence to be swapped and how you found the process

Will I keep my HGV categories if I swap UK licence for French one?

Keeping the categories should be fairly straightforward, but it may depend on how they were acquired originally

Do I need an international driving permit for a holiday to France?

We look at the rules for British licence holders as well as for Americans, Australians and other non-EU citizens

French man discovers his driving licence was invalid for 32 years

An admin error in the late 1980s meant that the man from the south-west was driving illegally for over three decades

How long can tourists drive UK-registered cars in France for?

We look into driving holidays to France and whether there is a limit to how long you can keep your car here for

Do health issues affect your right to drive in France on a UK licence?

Depending on the case, certain restrictions on driving may be applied

Can France refuse to change an expired British driving licence?

We look at the rules regarding UK driving licences which have been obtained through an exchange with another country

Explainer: Using a UK driving licence as a British resident of France

British residents of Spain have been banned from driving on their UK licences after Brexit. We explain why and clarify the situation for French residents

How to contact ANTS for help swapping driving licences in France

The agency can help British drivers who have faced delays in getting French permits

Foreign driver sent 14,200 fines in speeding ticket scam in France

Eight people have been found guilty of fraud after using licences they bought details of online

How long does it take to swap foreign driving licence to a French one?

British drivers who need to exchange because their licence is expiring should apply at least six months in advance of their licence running out

If I wear contact lenses to drive in France must I bring glasses too?

Drivers who need contact lenses or glasses to drive have this information shown on their licences

An image of Bob and Trisha Street standing by their car holding UK driving licences

Long exchange time leaves foreign drivers in France without licences

Drivers are being asked to apply to swap when licences are ‘expiring’ or specifically in the case of UK ones, where there is less than six months to go; however the swap process can take nine months, a reader was told

Do I have to hand in my UK licence to make a swap?

What is the government policy on the exchange of a licence from another EU country for a French one? Must you hand over your British licence with the application, or just when you collect the new licence? I was told I would need to hand it over but I need it in case I have to go back to the UK due to family illness and need to hire a car. S.F.